Submarine dredge.



H. SIEPMANN.

SUBMARINE DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. 1914.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH ,cm. WASHINGTON, D. C.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Pate-ntd Apr. 18,1916.

H SIEPNIANN SUBMIARINE DREDGE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 30.1914. 1,179,669.

w'i/bneooao 'rn s'rarns AT NT orrron.

ml-lNRY SIEPMANN, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO A. O,

STUBB, OE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

SUBMARINE DIR-EDGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed June 30, 1914. Serial No. 848,320.

To all whom, it may concern 'Beit'known that I, HENRY SIEPMANN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county ofKing and State of Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Submarine Dredges, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention'has for its primary object to provide novel apparatus of the above type which will facilitate the extraction of gold and other precious metals from the sand of ocean or other water beds.

Other objects will be set forth as my description progresses and those features of construction, arrangements and combinations of parts in which my invention resides,

will be succinctly defined in my annexed J claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the I invention and wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 22 ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section on line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. & is a rear end elevat-ion- Fig. 5 is a perspective of the inven- "iwdas in use, and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are frag mentary details.

Reference numeral 1 indicates the body of my dredge, the same comprising ahollov forwardly tapering shell having a rear wall 2 provided with a delivery opening 3 encircled by an inturned flange 6 to which a cylindrical perforated shell 5 is secured as shown, or in any other suitable manner. Wall 5 forms a centrally placed partition for body 1, dividing the same into a through passage or sluice way 4 and an annular collecting chamber 1. The forward edge portion of cylindrical wall '5 is riveted to body 1. 7

Reference numeral 8 indicates a rotatable double spiral blade for forwarding material through passage '4, this being provided on its rear end portion with a gear 9 which meshes with a pinion 10 fixed to the shafts of a fluid motor, as 11, conveniently con nected, by a flexible supply pipe 12 with a suitable pump 13 for supplying air or water thereto under pressure.

Body 1 is provided along its forward edge with teeth 14 which act to loosen and direct the sand or other material of the waters bed into the through passage 4.

Reference numeral 15 indicates a nose or plow of open formation projecting forwardly of body 1 and extending across the} adjacent end of through passage 4 so as to,

in addition to loosening the material and is passed over a sheave suitably anchored in the water and itsother end being Wound on drum 18 of a suitable engine 21 located on the shore. A second cable 17 is connected by chains 19 to the opposite end portions of j body 1 and wound on drum 187 so that upon proper rotation of drums l8 and 18 body 1 flan pe alternately run toward and from the "eac 1.

Assuming that the device has been hauled i l out into the water,.drum 18 is allowedto run idle and-drum 18' and pumps 13 are operated, thereby advancing the device toward the beach and simultaneously operating motor 11, fluid from which latter exhausts into the waterthrough a. pipe 24: hav-] ing a suitable back check valve, as 25. During the advanced movement of the device, flexible fluid supply pipe 12 is continuously drawn in by hand. Material entering the forward end portion of through passage 4: is caught by blade 8 and'forw'arded over the perforated shell 5 which latter is preferably provided with annular ribs 21, adapted to check the material fora more thorough sep aration thereof, as will be apparent. Such of the material as fails to enter into collecting chamber 4, is delivered through open-' ing 3 of wall 2, as will be r y undel" stood. 0 served that wall 2 is provlded with openings, normally'closed by suitable closures, as 22, through which the contents of chamber at can be removed. Wall 2 is also provided with a series of small openings or holes 26, extending about and close to the opening 3, through which water can pass out of chamber 4. Flange 6 is suitably grooved for re ccption of the edge portion of gear 9 and the Nose or plow- 15 comprises a In this connection it will be ob vided with discharge openings closely sur lower portion thereof enlarged, to provide a' rounding'the rear opening of the cent chamber 6"in'which motor 11' is arranged.

' scribed 5 comprisin when;

math-lent eased Reference numeral 23indicatcs packing rings suitably'fitted in flange 6 and bearing j against the side faces of gear 9 to prevent the passage of water or foreign substances into chamber 6". for obvious reasons.

The foregoing detailed,Jdescription has beengiven for clearness'o'f understanding only, and no undue hmitationiisto be under stood therefrom, but theappendediclanns sible in View of thep'rior art. a

ters P I tent of the 'United- Statesof Annemc f the- T; character being fprovided i-wit extending-arou'n warding'pbl'adef f the fora said blade f "ated -.Sh .lfi body f'ch'arhber f a tatable relative theret rotate with aid'bl a ,1 ppm s c a. scribed'eoinprising'a ody having a through f --palssage provided" with f foraininous 7Wa'll, a {'rotary blade "for forwar'ding material cylinder, a helical conveyer within the in ner perforated shell, 'a gear secured to said conveyer, motor in the annular chamber and rotative connection between the motor ,aiadfs s p 6. -I'Ln apparatus of the character described comprising a'hollow body, a cylin- "fdrical fperforated sli'ell in said body formring a passa'ge,said body havinga collecting *are to beiconstrued as broadly-asis p rm a i p f tatable-helical-blade; in".s'a id. shell','ja fluid Havingjthusdescribed myiinvention,What* I claimyas new, and -desire1to secure by chamber extending-around said'. shell, a romotor "on s a'id body fhavihg driving connecthrough "the i-pa'ssage; of*s a'id body, and roa plow fixed to are; Cha mainethrough the pa'ssageof said body and ro- Qn sa'idfbbdyLE-1Eor"rotating'eaidjblade a pa atus of the l scribed cylind I ""slie llg-anivliter slielkfseciiredt the-perforated them, a helical nveye rotative con'nection between theinotor and saidgearp 4; i mt of the "character described, comprising azcylindrical perforated shell, air-outer shellsecured to the perforated shell to'inclo'se an annular -chamber between them, a rhelicalconveyer within the inner perforated shell, the end of said conveyor at the inlet end having conically placed screening members, a'gear' secured-to said conveyer, a motor in the. annular chamber anwjrotat veconnection between the motor and said gear. p

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a cylindrical perforated shell, an

iaracter acre? f f d 1mse bi afi dy a msdr g-J w atllts' smaller shell 'to 'inclosefan ai nular I hamber between f r th n t ne perforated shellaa gearjisecured to saidlcon-i veyer," a'frhotor in the annular "chamber and 1 'tatable relative"thereto,' "andj a plow of open fformation fixed to and rotatable with said" 5 bladeJsaid plow extending.- across the for raid sa lo t e me r f dT Y- .9. In an apparatus of the character dea conically tapering helical conveyer within said shell, cables se-c tionwith" -s"aid' *blad'e, ;.and fluid, supplyanddelivery pipes -'connected with; said motor, 7 said delivery pipe-"being provided with a back checkf 'vallve, ;foifithe purpose specified. j 7; apparatus the character described comprising a b'odyfhaving' through V. passage provided with-T a: forannnous wall, I a. rotary blade ffor" forwarding material cured 'at ea'chend or said body, and means, i

for operating said cables to draw said. de-

vice baclr'andforth along the 'bottom'of a 10. In an'app'aratus of the character described, in combination, a con ically tapering body having dredging jaws at its smaller end, a perforated shell within said, body, a

helical conveyor Within, said shell, a plowon the forward end'of said conveyor, means for rotating said conveyor, cables secured toeach end of said body, and a power connection for drawing said'device backand forth along the bottom of a waterway. Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 22nd day of June, 1914.

lVi'tnesses:

H. BINGAMAN, CLARA A. HARM.

oopies'of this'pat ent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Comm 1 at nts,

- Washington, D. C. a

HENRY SIEPMANN. 

